Comfort can be the enemy of growth

Comfort can be the enemy of growth.

Thought- Often we make decisions and choices that are the most comfortable and familiar to us, even if we know they lead to bad outcomes.

Scripture- “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And weboast in the hope of the glory of God.”- Romans 5:1-2

Insight: How many times when we were kids did the dentist tell us to stop eating candy/sugar because it was bad for our teeth and led to having a cavity? How many times did we listen?  Not many, because we really liked the candy, even though it led to needing a painful experience at the dentist to get a cavity filled. In our minds, it was ok to have the pain, as long as we got the pleasure of the candy. We made a calculation and decided the benefit was greater than the cost, although we sure complained a lot about the cost the day of the dentist appointment.  How many times did someone we trust tell us to not enter into or get out of a relationship they saw was not healthy for us? How many times did we ignore them? Many times, because it was somewhat comfortable for us we continued on in a relationship when we knew deep down that it wasn’t working or came with too much pain and sorrow. We somehow calculated that the “comfort” of knowing the person was worth the pain and baggage they brought. It was a case of the old saying “the devil you know is better than the one you don’t know.”

There are countless other examples I can mention about where the comfort of something you know, even if the consequences are bad, seem to outweigh the fear and perceived risk of the unknown. It takes boldness to try new things and new paths as Proverbs 28:1 says “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” If the old paths and decisions are leading to many painful consequences, have faith in Jesus to bring a new, better way to live. Hebrews 11:1 promises that when we put our faith in Christ, we will gain the necessary confidence to embark on new paths: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Many times, our instincts are telling us to start a new path, but we are too fearful to listen, so we fall back into what is comfortable. This leads to a cycle of pain and stagnation. Ask Jesus to help set you free, and a new life of adventure will be waiting for you on the other side. Trust Him, He is the only One worthy of all our trust!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for you Son Jesus, who loves us so much and leads us into new adventures. We need His strength to help guide us into making difficult decisions that get us out of our comfort zones. We pray for boldness in making the decisions we need to make in Jesus name. Amen!